A blockbuster trade vaults the Denver Broncos into elite roster rankings. Discover how Jaylen Waddle transformed Denver's outlook.
The Denver Broncos began NFL free agency in a very quiet fashion, which was a bit of a surprise to many.
Defensive tackle John-Franklin Myers left and signed with the Tennessee Titans, although his departure was expected.
It was a conservative approach to start, and nobody was really sure why. The most notable moves were re-signing Justin Strnad, J.K. Dobbins and Alex Singleton, as well as Adam Trautman and some other minor moves.
ESPN's Benjamin Solak had some post-free agency rankings, and he ranked teams' rosters based on free agent signings, trades, and departing talent.
In the rankings, he had the Broncos at No. 5, and here were the top-5 teams in Solak's list.
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Detroit Lions
- New Orleans Saints
- Denver Broncos
Now, a big part of this was the trade to acquire Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Solak said he "loved" the Waddle trade, and said this is the exact move a contending team needs to make.
"He's a sudden playmaker with great deep speed, and he's only 27 and comes with three years of team control. Waddle gives Denver more punch -- not just for one season but for multiple years to come. Bo Nix needed a better target against zone coverage and a more dangerous YAC receiver. Terrific trade for Denver," Solak wrote.
The Waddle trade likely put the Broncos up quite a few spots, and giving Bo Nix another talented WR is a big move for the offense.
However, The LB Room Is A Question Mark
Now, Solak admits that what he didn't love was the Broncos' "running it back at linebacker."
"I do think that the Broncos' linebackers were often exposed in man coverage last season, and with both Singleton and Strnad back in-house, teams with good pass-catching backs will continue stressing Denver's second level."
On the other hand, the Denver defense was a large reason why the Broncos finished as AFC West champions and had the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and if it weren't fr the injury to Nix, perhaps the Broncos would've made the Super Bowl.
So, the Broncos got off to a very slow start, but bringing in Waddle was a monster move, and maybe the front office was working phones on a trade the entire time, which is why they were patiently waiting to spend big on free agents.
Entering the 2026 NFL season, the Broncos have a talented roster once again, and even with Franklin-Myers leaving a hole and no first-round pick, the hopes are high for Sean Payton's team.